GREEN WITH ENVY
Gorgeous green rooms that will convince you that it is time to redecorate
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT a green interior that allows a wave of calmness to wash over you. Perhaps it’s the power of nature, its tones calling us to reset and renew.
Food for the soul, green is the perfect antidote to the stress that can easily take centre stage in our lives. When things outside our homes dictate the way we live, at least we know we can control one thing – how our homes look and feel. Even by applying a simple coat of paint onto a favourite chair or by updating your bedroom walls in a new colour, we can sit back and enjoy a change for the better. So let’s slow down and take charge of the design of our homes. Start small if you have to. Soothing, fresh viridescent hues are trending again. Whatever it is about green, it works and it is your friend.
From pale seafoam to rich emerald, there’ll be a green out there that you love. To help you figure out what green is for you, look first at woodland tones, such as mossy Resene Palm Green, the olive of Resene Saratoga or the soft, calming green of Resene Peace. All currently popular, these will bring your home up to date with a stimulating, nurturing setting.
Layering your tones is one way of bringing your greens into the moment even further. Try painting your walls in the light green of Resene Pewter and a cabinet or bookshelf in Resene Yucca. Just stick with either yellow-based or blue-based greens — don’t mix the two otherwise you’ll lose the continuity. You could even extend further and paint two coffee tables in one green each, but from in complementary green tones. Layering these tones will bring so much interest to a room yet won’t overpower it as you’ll have a visual sense of consistency and order. For a cosy, cocoon-like room, layer Resene Dingley with Resene Highland and Resene Gravel. For a space with a lighter, airier feel, Blend Resene Ottoman with Resene Gothic.
Green is one of the easiest colours to use in your interior as its tricky to go wrong, says interior designer Rachel O’Connell of Style My Abode. Tie in lighter or darker tones on your skirting boards, side tables, cabinetry and staircase rails for a greater feeling of depth.
Let the era of your home guide your colour choice too, O’Connell says. “For more contemporary schemes choose
greens like Resene Inside Back, Resene Atlas or Resene Emerge,” she says. “Heritage homes easily suit timeless colours such as Resene Smoky Green or Resene Thor or Quarter Lemon Grass — these colours tend to work so well with a highceiling stud and upcycled woods.”
A good tip for experimenting with these hues is by choosing two tones of green you love — one dark and one light — and instead of one feature wall, wrap the darker colour on two adjoining walls, painting the remaining walls in the lighter shade, O’Connell says.
“Also, a television room is a great space to play with deeper greens like Resene Atlas or Resene Gable Green,” she says.
When artist Greer Clayton painted the main bedroom at her family bach, she chose the soft, serenity of Resene Secrets. “My family loves it — feels calm but very fresh!” she says. “It’s teamed with a lowboy cabinet painted in Resene Chicago, so we are bringing in the green and muddy grey/ browns that are so typical in nature. My son Rafferty’s bedroom is painted the gutsy Resene Raptor green, which he loves. Teamed with Resene Alabaster, it really contrasts the dark to light.”
As we move into summer the pop art palette of the Resene Nourish, Resene Beryl Green, Resene Double Lemon Grass and Resene Wedgewood appeals to Laura Heynike, director of Pocketspace Interiors. “These are all great in bedrooms, hallways and lounges,” she says. “If the room you’re updating has an outdoor view, paint its walls green to allow the flow outdoors seamless. You can take your fan deck outside and see which tone is the best base colour for you. Then work up or down with your tint depth.”
For some zesty fun Heynike suggests painting Resene Away We Go onto a piece of furniture to get that pop-art look really popping against Resene Wedgewood or Resene Azure.
■ For more paint and colour ideas and inspiration visit your local Resene ColorShop. Plus use the room and colour filter online at habitatbyresene.co.nz to find project ideas from other homeowners to help inspire your project.